Victims Have a Role in Policing

Everyone wants law and order, but it’s surprising how few people are willing to do their part. Take the recent rash of car air-bag thefts in the San Fernando Valley.

Police have identified and arrested a suspect they believe is part of a ring responsible for dozens--if not hundreds--of air-bag thefts in North Hollywood, Mission Hills and Van Nuys. The police made the identification not by high-risk stakeouts or high-tech gadgetry but by old-fashioned fingerprinting. The only hitch was, although the ring started operating in January, it took until June for a victim to agree to have his car dusted for fingerprints.

Once police had the fingerprints, they easily identified two suspects, each of whom has a criminal record. One was arrested and charged with auto burglary. An arrest warrant has been issued for the second suspect, who has not been seen since his partner’s arrest.

Of 200 air-bag thefts reported in the Valley for the first six months of the year, only 10 victims had their cars dusted for prints. Police say most people find it an inconvenience to stay home and wait for a fingerprint technician or to take their car in to a police station.

“I know more people would have it done if they thought it would help,” Los Angeles Police Department Det. Kenneth Belt told a Times reporter.

Well, it would help. Since the arrest, air-bag thefts have plummeted from as many as six or seven a night to an average of one a week. When air-bag theft rings are working the Valley, as many as 1,500 air bags are stolen in a year. When rings are put out of operation, only about 50 break-ins are reported.

If you have the misfortune to be a victim of such theft, you can take a step that could help keep it from happening to someone else--or happening again--by simply allowing your car to be checked for fingerprints. Community policing gets a lot of support, but we need to put the community into the equation.